Into The Minds of Others
by Whiitewolf
Summary: Suddenly Hotch wakes up one day, able to hear what everyone thinks, from Emily's fantasies to JJ's love for him. How does he react with this new information? JJ/Hotch
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Hey everyone! Thanks for checking this story out. It's inspired by 'What Women Want,' that movie. I haven't seen it for awhile. But I figure this should be interesting. This story is meant to be sort of humorous. **

**Full Summary: Hotch wakes up one day and suddenly he is able to hear everything people think. From Emily's fantasies, to JJ having feelings for him. He can hear Reid's thoughts, including how Reid feels about his 'look' and even what the random woman at the coffee shop thinks. It's crazy, but he can use it to his advantage. JJ/Hotch eventually.**

**And thanks to BonesBird for the title!**

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><p>It was a normal day. At least it had seemed like a normal day when he first woke up. Hotch had woken up at his regular time, had his regular shower and even put on his regular outfit. A suit with a tie… He went with a blue tie today. It was the first one he'd seen. Jack had stayed at Jessica's last night as he had returned from a case late and now he was heading to work. So far, so good.<p>

It just seemed like a plain normal day. He'd stopped at the coffee shop on the way to work. This was nothing new. He always got coffee from the same girl.

_Mmm, mm. Looking fine as he always does in that suit and tie. Now if only I could see him in shorts… Or even just boxers…_

Hotch looked up abruptly to see the lady behind the counter smiling at me. "Excuse me?" he asked, clearly confused.

"I didn't say anything," she said her brows wrinkling in confusion, although a guilty look appeared on her face.

"But you-" Hotch stammered.

"Sir, your coffee," one of the men behind the counter said sliding his to go cup across the laminate counter top.

"Thank you," Hotch said, still looking at the blonde curiously. He must be just imagining things… He really had not got too much sleep last night.

She grinned at him. "Have a nice day sir!" _And keep looking fine in that suit and tie. Mmm._

Why hadn't her lips moved when she said the last part? Her face was still frozen in a smile. This was too weird.

"Excuse me," mumbled the girl behind him. He was holding up the line. Nodding, he walked out of the coffee shop.

What was going on? Perhaps he hadn't gotten enough sleep last night, he shook his head before opening his car door again. He sat still for a couple minutes, trying to wake himself up. He took a small sip of his coffee before turning the engine on. This day had started off weird...

He'd arrived at the BAU early. This was his normal habit and he was already in his office settled into some paper work by the time Rossi came into his office.

_I really should stop him from working so much. He looked exhausted. I wonder how much he's sleeping… Maybe I should play matchmaker… Blind date? He'd never go for it. Maybe I could bring him out, arrange for one of my friends to come out… And then have to leave._

"What?" Hotch said looking up suddenly, staring at Rossi wondering what he was going on about.

"I haven't said anything," Rossi said raising his eyebrows. "I just came in to see how your morning went." _Why do you seem so off? And what has got you so tense? Definitely need a girlfriend…_

"Oh, it's going fine," Hotch replied looking at him curiously. Maybe he'd been working too much, maybe he just needed time off. He was due for it... He'd talk to Strauss about it. Jack would be happy. Father and son time, that was cure for almost anything.

"Right," Rossi stated. _You're lying. You really think you can fool an old profiler like myself? I should figure out Hotch's type._

"I'm not lying," Hotch protested, almost jumping up from his chair. "I don't need a girlfriend, either."

"I never said you were or that you did…" Rossi commented watching Hotch carefully. _What has gotten into you today? I don't understand it. Does my face really look so guilty you can tell what I'm thinking or that I'm plotting something?_

"I just had a busy morning," Hotch said trying not to sound annoyed. What was with Dave? Was he trying to get under his nerves? They'd been friend so long that Dave usually knew when to push and when to let it go. Perhaps he was having an off day.

Still looking bemused, Rossi walked out of the office, shaking his head. _I'll have a look through my address book. There's got to be someone that screams perfect to Hotch… _

"What is going on with me?" Hotch muttered quietly to himself. He anxiously rubbed the bridge of his nose before looking back down at his desk.

The silence was a bit welcoming and he continued working on some paper work. He had kept up a steady pace and was barely aware of the world around him. Which was lucky for Reid whom was showing off his magic tricks downstairs. When he checked his watch a half hour later he decided it was time to head downstairs. He finished off the last of his coffee before walking out the door. He looked up just in time to prevent himself from walking into JJ.

"Morning," said JJ smiling warmly at him while she passed him. _I really hope Henry's feeling better. This is all so stressful. _

"Is Henry okay?" Aaron asked, the concern evident in his voice.

"He just has a fever," JJ replied, trying to conceal the worry on her face. "How did you know that? Never mind, must be those profiler instincts," JJ said with a small laugh before walking into her office. _I really hope that the nanny is doing okay with this… And I wish Will would answer his cell phone… _

This day seemed so off. What was going on? It was then that a rocket landed at his feet. Reid and his physics magic. He walked downstairs slowly. He wanted to be able to maintain a straight face when lecturing the younger profiler. If he showed amusement, Reid would never take him seriously. And he was amused, but he had to tell him off. It was his job.

Of course, when he got down there... Emily, Morgan and Garcia were all laughing just as Reid set off another one.

"Reid," Hotch lectured walking over to the group as he crossed his arms.

Reid looked down at the table. _Uh oh. _ _Busted. I wonder if he's giving me that look of his… I should keep my head down. _

Sighing, Hotch turned to look at Emily whom looked just as guilty.

_God damn it Prentiss, you can't think that, he's your boss! Strictly off limits!_

"What can't you think, Emily?" Hotch questioned feeling that nagging confusion come back.

He could have sworn her face went red. "What? I was just..." Even she looked confused. _Why does he have to look so good every day? And what is wrong with him?_

"Who looks good every day?" Aaron demanded. He couldn't help it. He was beginning to feel frustrated.

Emily looked at him as if trying to see if he was joking or not. _Okay, I'll bite... _"Obviously Garcia," Emily replied with a laugh looking over at the blonde whom today wore a rainbow headband that perfectly matched her rainbow socks that stuck out from her skirt.

"Thanks, Em," Garcia said with a smile before laughing.

Oh how his head was pounding right now. "Just, get to work," he muttered lamely turning around to head back up the stairs.

What in the world was going on?

_I hope Hotch is okay. I hope Jack's okay. _

_What's gotten into him today? Did something happen to Jack?_

_Is he sick? Maybe Jack's sick… He seemed worried about something. _

Hotch turned around suddenly and the worries were still continuing. He heard Reid's voice, Morgan's voice, Garcia's and even Emily's... Yet none of their mouths were moving. And was he really so off they all assumed there was something wrong with Jack, whom was his entire world.

"Hotch, you okay?" Emily asked putting out an arm comfortingly. _He looks really pale. I wonder if he's worried about something. Definitely seems so._

"Fine," Aaron mumbled before heading back to his office walking as fast he could without drawing attention.

_I hope he feels better soon. _

_I wonder if I should go talk to him, let him know I'm there if he needs to talk… _

The second Hotch entered his office, he shut the door. And finally, the voices went away. Voices? There has to be a logical explanation for this. He couldn't handle this. Maybe he should go straight to the psychiatrist assigned to his team.

No, he'd let it play out and see what happened. He'd just get more coffee and wake up a bit more.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: I can't believe all the alerts and reviews I got! A million thank you's to all of you! **

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><p>"Aaron, calm down, what are you talking about?" Rossi demanded trying to figure out what his friend was talking about. <em>Should I go to Strauss? I'd hate to do that to Hotch but if he needs help...<em>

"I don't need help," Hotch snapped after making sure his blinds were closed all the way. No one needed to know anything was going on.

"I never said that," Rossi stated calmly trying to keep a straight face. _He seems so disorientated... I wonder how he's sleeping or if something happened. _

"Nothing's happened and I'm sleeping fine," Hotch declared rolling his eyes. "Let me finish!"

"Aaron, I never said-" Rossi began.

"I can hear people's thoughts, at least that's what I think it is," Hotch suddenly said interrupting him. This had been something he'd been piecing together. This was why everyone acted confused when he questioned them on things he thought they'd said. Why they continued to 'speak' with their mouths closed. It was the only logical explanation and it wasn't even logical. The more likely scenario was that the job was getting to him and he was cracking up... That's why he needed Rossi.

"Okay, you know... Maybe it's just stress from work," Dave tried to explain, hoping to reassure his friend. _I definitely need to talk to Strauss about this. He shouldn't be working like this. _

"Dave, I'm..." Hotch paused before continuing after debating something in his head. "Think of a number, any number."

"Aaron, this is ridiculous." Rossi began to pace the room trying to piece this together. What could cause a break like this?

"Just do it!" Hotch demanded before adding a 'please' a bit more softly. "Humor me."

"Fine," Rossi said rolling his eyes a bit. _Just to keep him distracted and happy... Now, I know Strauss isn't back until next week._

"You're not thinking of a number," Hotch groaned in frustration. How could he prove it if Dave wouldn't actually do it?

_How does he know? _"I am, I am," Rossi said. _The first number that comes to mind is three, the number of wives I've had. _

"Three," Hotch said without doubt in his voice.

Rossi's mouth gaped open at first. Then he shook his head. "That's right," he mused. _Lucky coincidence. He obviously only guessed that because three is the number of my wives. Makes sense. It's like my unlucky number. If I'd thought of something like 1,748 he wouldn't have guessed it._

"1,748," Hotch said crossing his arms. "Now do you believe me?"

_That was a very lucky guess. But what were the chances of that? Reid would know... Maybe I'll have lasagne for dinner tonight. I need to focus on the task at hand here. _

"You should invite me over for some of your lasagne, we all know you're a good cook," Hotch suggested.

"How did you?" Rossi broke off.

"I told you! I can hear your thoughts," Aaron said rubbing the bridge of his nose in annoyance.

_That's not possible. _

"It is possible," Hotch insisted.

_This is really creepy. It's just coincidences, just coincidences. But how many times can he figure out what I'm thinking before I can't say that any more. Okay, something completely random... I think I should set Hotch up on a date with a blonde I know. She's pretty, and cute. Aside from the fact she is very clingy._

"Oh no you don't!" Aaron protested. "With this job, clingy girls won't work. Blonde is good though." Hotch added the last bit as an after thought.

"Holy crap," Rossi suddenly said very loudly.

"Shh," Aaron whispered. He didn't want anyone to hear and jump to conclusions.

"How? What? This can't be possible," Rossi said very quickly, his eyes a bit wide. _I really hate that navy blue tie you wear sometimes. _

"What's wrong with my tie?" Hotch demanded. "And I can assure you, I've gone over this for quite some time trying to figure this out. Either I'm crazy or hearing peoples thoughts and if you seem this shocked then I must be right."

"Nothing's wrong with your tie," Rossi threw in. "But this is curious. It's certainly a gift." That's when Rossi turned back around to face Aaron. "Don't tell anyone. I'm having a hard time believing this... You don't want to lose your job."

"I know that much," Aaron muttered. This was so crazy.

"If this is true," Rossi said, "then this is some gift! You can hear what everyone thinks... Even girls." Rossi pondered this for a bit. "It seems too good to be true. There has to be a catch." _Why couldn't I have the ability to hear thoughts? _

"It doesn't seem that great. It's annoying, it was like a blur of voices in the coffee shop and I feel like I'm sneaking a glance at someone's journal. It's private. I shouldn't be able to hear anyone's thoughts!

"When did this happen?" Rossi questioned, now standing still by the door. _How in the world did this happen? I wonder if I could convince Hotch to come with my to visit Taylor, my third ex wife to see what she thinks of me. _

"Not a chance, Dave," Aaron said sternly. "And just this morning."

_Damn, I forgot, he can hear my thoughts too. How does one control their thoughts? _"This could come in handy you know. With catching criminals... Maybe that's why you got this gift. To catch killers."

"Hearing someone's thoughts won't matter. It's not like I can tell anyone I'm hearing the thoughts of the witness or suspect," Hotch said shaking his head.

"True, but it can help you to know. That way you can get in their head and hopefully close cases more quickly." _I still don't know if I can believe this._

"Believe it, it's true." Hotch sat back down in his chair. At least he wasn't crazy. But why did this happen to him?

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><p><strong>I apologize if I moved this chapter a bit quickly. I just feel Rossi will be an important part of the story for him to know. =D <strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:Thank you for all your reviews and everything! You guys are the best. And suggestions are always welcome. ^.^ And sorry if people find Emily's thoughts offensive or out of character for her. But I find it entertaining. =D And I forgot to mention the first few chapters, but I'm sure you guys figured it out that italics are the character's thoughts. Aside from Hotch's as this story is from his point of view. **

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><p>Aaron sighed anxiously. This hearing people's thoughts thing was helpful but there were some things he wished he'd never heard. For example, he now had to grimace every time Emily came in the room. Often, her thoughts were about him in an inappropriate way. Reid's thoughts were a mixture of things, including a guilt party about his mother and he felt like he was invading the young man's privacy. Whenever he saw Dave, Dave resorted to thinking about random movies and songs in an attempt to keep his thoughts private.<p>

This wouldn't be so bad if he could turn this off. Morgan often thought about girls, including Emily. As a profiler, this was the sort of stuff he could have guessed if he'd tried but he often tried not to profile his own team.

JJ's thoughts he hadn't heard much yet, aside from her worrying about Henry.

The worst bit though? Was listening to Jack... Not because they were bad thoughts and they weren't. But because he realized that Jack kept a lot of things about school secret from him. Such as the fact that he was being bullied.

"Hotch, you okay?" Emily asked him as she looked over at him. They were in a bar. He didn't know how he let Rossi talk him into this, but they were all in the bar. JJ was playing pool, while Morgan had dragged Reid over to see a couple girls and Rossi was... Well he didn't know exactly.

And he was here with Emily, and Garcia who was busy talking to Kevin.

"I'm fine," he responded taking another sip of his drink. This was also the last time he tried a new drink. It wasn't sitting with him right.

"Are you sure?" _Wow, I never thought he could look even more hot... But out of that suit... well... No wonder his name is HOTch. _

"Yes," Hotch said rather quickly. He didn't want to hear her thoughts. Right now, it was a constant buzz of 'voices.' But someone they had all dulled a bit, aside from Emily but he assumed this was because she was sitting right across from him.

"You look a little pale," she commented looking at him thoughtfully. _Maybe he's having thoughts about me! __And he's embarrassed about it. That must be it! _

"I'm just worried about Jack," Hotch said hurrying to pour out his feelings. This wasn't because he needed to talk, this was because he didn't want her thinking he was having thoughts about her.

_Oh, it's Jack. I can dream though, right? _"What's happened?" Emily asked, an expression of concern appearing on her face. _I hope he's not sick. I hope I can help. _

"I found out he's being bullied at school," Hotch said thoughtfully.

"Ouch, that's rough," Emily responded thinking about an earlier conversation her and Hotch had about this situation. "Is it the same boy?"

"Different boy," Hotch replied, obviously distressed.

Emily gave him a sympathetic look, taking another sip of her drink _Jack's just too sweet a kid. Never though I'd think that a kid could be too nice. Hotch is such a good parent this must be rough for him. _

"Have you spoken to Jack about this or did you hear it from his teacher?" she asked, watching him carefully. _He still looks hot even when he's worried. Maybe even more than before... Emily stop that. Hotch needs you right now. _

"Jack didn't come out and tell me," Hotch responded. He wasn't lying but he wasn't offering anything up. He valued his job and would like to stay out a psych ward.

_That's even worse. Maybe Hotch is worried Jack doesn't trust him. No, he must know that Jack's just trying to be tough, like his dad. _"Maybe he just wants to deal with it alone," Emily said aloud, still watching her boss carefully. _I wish I could help. _

"You're probably right," Hotch said clearly distracted. His tone signified the conversation was closed. His eyes trailed over the crowd. It was definitely very crowded in here tonight. A Friday night. What could he expect? His eyes were scanning for his team. Despite the fact they were adults, he liked to be sure they were safe. Especially Reid and JJ who both seemed so vulnerable.

"Hey guys," came a soft voice from behind him. He turned around to see JJ pulling out a chair next to him.

Her face was flushed red, in what? Anger? Embarrassment? Excitement?

_I can't believe the nerve of that guy! _

Ah, anger.

"Are you okay?" Emily asked, leaning across the table. _She seems frustrated about something. _

"Fine," JJ replied, forcing her warm smile again. "Anything exciting happen when I was gone?" _Why does he insist on doing this to me?_

"Some girl started hitting on Reid," Emily answered with a snort. "You should have seen his face! He had no idea what was going on."

That was funny, Hotch thought feeling amused again. But what is JJ talking about? Or more so, thinking about?

"Awe, that's cute! I wish I'd been here to see it," JJ said with a genuine laugh. _Oh, Reid. You have much to learn. _

"JJ, are you okay?" Garcia's concerned voice alerted Hotch and he turned to see her walking quickly over, her red heels clicking on the floor. Amazing how he heard them over the music.

"I'm fine, Garcia," JJ said trying to convince her.

"I can't believe the nerve of him!" Penelope fumed.

"Will?" Emily demanded, understanding dawning on her face.

JJ nodded.

"No worries, JJ, when the going gets tough, we girls go shopping!" Garcia exclaimed grabbing the blondes arm to drag her away from Hotch. _We're going to sort this out! I can't believe Will. I just, I'm so angry I can't think._

"What's going on?" Hotch asked now standing up. What did Will do? Why did he find himself not just feeling worry, but also anger?

"Girl talk," Emily responded before standing up to follow JJ and Garcia.

"I'm okay," JJ mumbled quietly. _At least I am when you don't look at me like that! _

Hotch turned his gaze away. "Are you sure?" Garcia and Emily know what's going on, why didn't he know? Girl talk? What did that even really mean?

"Yes," JJ said quickly, following the two girls away. _With Will anyways. I can deal with that, but how do I deal with my feelings for you? _

Shock overwhelmed him. Hotch was so surprised, he didn't even object any more. Feelings for him? Maybe he heard wrong... It is loud and overwhelming in here. He allowed JJ to be taken away and he sat back down in the chair, his head in his hands.


	4. Chapter 4: Soccer Game

**Author's Note: Sorry for the delay, suffering from writer's block but trying to get a chapter out! And oh, Reid, just admit it. That's exactly how it happened!**

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><p>"That is not how it happened!" Reid objected, sending Morgan a glare. He crossed his arms, turning to look back out on the field where Jack passed the ball to another boy on his team. <em>Who does he think he is? Why can't he let it go?<em>

"Is so!" declared Derek, as he looked back at Reid. "That is definitely what happened last night!" _And it was too funny. _

Hotch glanced over at the two, he wasn't sure what they were arguing about. Some situation from the night before at the bar. He knew it involved a girl and Reid embarrassing himself. He wasn't sure but right now his head was pounding too hard to even try and understand it. Instead, he forced himself to focus on Jack. That was why they were here. He couldn't help but look over as he saw JJ sipping her coffee, a pained expression on her face. She'd clearly gotten a hang over, too.

Garcia held Henry in her arms and was smiling ear to ear as she kept the little boy amused.

He shook his head and looked back on the field just in time to see Jack's team score. "Great team work," he yelled out when Jack looked over at him expectantly. He was after all, the coach.

The team all winced, aside from Reid whom had been smart enough to stop at his limit.

_Oh, my head. _He heard Emily think and he turned over to see her wincing. He wouldn't admit it, but it made him feel just a bit better to know he wasn't suffering through this terrible ordeal alone.

"Who's winning?" Dave whispered leaning over.

"We don't keep score," Hotch responded, having told this to Dave many times before. Yet he always asked.

"Losing that bad huh?" Dave asked, smirking a bit.

Hotch mock glared at him, before focusing his attention back on the team, his attention mainly on his son.

_She seems to be doing better today, I hope she is. _

Confused, Hotch turned to look at Emily, wondering who she was talking about. He saw her gaze focused on JJ and figured this must have to do with last night. What was going on between JJ and Will? He wanted to listen to JJ's thoughts a bit more closely but he felt like he was intruding as if he'd stolen her private journal and had it at his expense. But if he just happened to 'accidentally' hear something, now that wasn't his fault, was it?

Discreetly, he moved a bit closer to JJ. He was gaining a bit of control and had learned that the closer he was to a person, the louder he'd hear them.

_I'm beginning to worry. I don't think Will's coming back this time, what do I do now? _

He hadn't expected that. Will and JJ were having relationship problems? He was immediately overcome with empathy. He opened his mouth to reassure her before stopping. He wasn't supposed to hear her thoughts! He gritted his teeth. So now he knew what was wrong and couldn't do anything about it. Honestly, he'd hoped JJ and Will would stay together. For Henry's sake and to prove that with their jobs, relationships were possible. And the most obvious reason, because he wanted JJ to be happy.

_I know the love has been gone for awhile, but for Henry's sake... _

Hotch couldn't stand to hear any more. It was too hard to hear a friend of his in pain and not be able to do anything about it. Clearly stressed, he walked back over to Dave.

"Hear anything interesting?" his colleague asked, grinning.

"No," Hotch said a bit too harshly.

Rossi, of course, didn't comment but instead gave him the space he knew he needed. It took a few minutes, but finally Hotch apologized. It was owed and he knew this.

"I am sorry, I just heard something I didn't really want to," he said, trying to explain as much as he could.

Dave nodded. "It seems like such a perfect gift, of course there must be a catch." He shook his head, watching the game out of the corner of his eye. "Who?"

"JJ," Hotch responded, trying to ignore the worry he felt for the young blonde.

Nodding as if this made perfect sense, Rossi glanced over at her quickly and noticed the way she was chewing her lip, obviously upset. "She needs a friend."

"She does," Hotch agree, trying to watch her carefully without being noticed.

"And what better than someone that can read her mind and know EXACTLY what she wants and needs?" Rossi continued to ponder out loud.

Hotch kept nodding in agreement, before realizing what Dave was implying. "What? I couldn't," he objected. He'd never been good with personal relationships.

"JJ!" Dave called out, startling the blonde out of her trance.

She lifted her head up and stood up from the bench and approached the two.

At this moment, Hotch was cursing Dave in his head so much, he wished he could hear his thoughts! What was he supposed to do here? And why was Dave smirking? It was as if he was planning something...

"What's up?" JJ asked, shifting her weight while she stifled a yawn.

"Hotch wants to take Jack to that kid's pizza place, with the play area and clowns but he doesn't want to be stuck there alone. He asked me to go, but why would I go when I don't have a kid? So maybe Henry needs a little treat?" Rossi asked, ignoring the glare he was receiving. _It's perfect, now just agree. _

JJ paused for a couple minutes trying to recall the place, "Ah, Casey's! I'm sure Henry would love to go! When did you want to bring Jack?" JJ asked, turning to face Hotch. _It'd be good for Henry and me. We need to get out, all we do is sit at home. _

"I was thinking tomorrow, at around noon," Hotch replied, quickly inventing a day. "Perhaps you could meet us at our place at around eleven?"

"Sounds great," JJ said with a smile. _Why is he looking at me like that?_

Looking away quickly, pretending to focus on the game again, Hotch nodded, "See you then."

As JJ watched away, he turned to glare at Rossi. "Thanks for the warning!"

"You'd have never gone for it if I'd told you," Dave told him. _Now, a few more tweaks, JJ and Hotch, the perfect match._

"Wait a minute, she needs a FRIEND," Hotch said realizing now what his friend's intentions were. Why does he always try and set me up? Hotch thought, shaking his head.

"As do you," replied Dave, smiling innocently at him. _And then, you'll become more than friends. _

"That's not going to happen," Hotch muttered under his breath.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: Oh, Hotch, why are you so stubborn? XD Review and let me know what you think! Thanks for reading!<strong>


	5. Chapter 5: Damn you, David Rossi

**Author's Note: Whoot! Another update. I'm a roll today with new stories and updates. Thank you so much for all the reviews I got. I tried to reply to every one but if I missed you, I apologize. **

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><p>Why did he feel so nervous? It wasn't like this was a date or anything. Not even close! They were taking their children out to have a fun day for the kids. For the kids. That was the key part. He blamed Dave. He really did. He's the one that kept thinking about him and JJ getting together. This was definitely his fault.<p>

He knew this wasn't a date or about him and JJ. In fact, JJ was just in need of a friend, but why was he pacing and why did his palms feel sweaty? Damn, and like he'd go on a date on a Sunday, in the morning to a children's play area.

"Jack, are you ready?" Hotch called up the stairs, eager to get his mind off the situation. It wasn't like him and JJ had never spent time together before. Dave's fault. This was all his fault. Oh, he'd get him for this.

"Yes," came the reply of a small voice and Jack poked his head around the corner from the living room.

The knock at the door interrupted Hotch's debating thoughts. He was right beside the door but waited a few seconds before opening it. He didn't want JJ to know he'd been waiting for her. No, that couldn't do. _What am I? A nervous teenager going on a -_ No he couldn't finish that. This was so far from a date it wasn't even funny.

As he opened the door, he regained composure and that's when he saw JJ, with Henry holding her hand. She was in sweats and a t shirt. Definitely not a date.

"Hey," she said, a huge smile on her face. _I hope I'm not too early, he looks a bit surprised. _

Hotch smiled when Henry waved at him.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked her, grabbing a jacket from the stand by the door.

She nodded, looking down at Henry whom was nodding so fast that Hotch hoped he didn't hurt himself.

"Jack," Hotch called out turning to find his son already behind him, shoes tied, jacket on and a huge grin on his face, ready to go.

"Here daddy," he said, eagerly rushing past Hotch to get outside.

It didn't take long to get settled into Hotch's car and soon they were on there to Casey's both boys positively glowing with excitement.

Along the drive, Hotch focused mostly on JJ, and tried to figure out what was bugging her and what questions to ask. He tried to ignore the guilty feeling he felt like he was intruding. But when he saw her, not talking or being herself and instead just staring out the window, his worry trumped his guilt.

He'd have to leave that discussion for later though. He couldn't start asking what was wrong with Henry and Jack in the car. Perhaps, he could get an idea of what was wrong.

_He's still not answering his phone. I don't understand why he won't just come home. We can make this work, for Henry... _

There was his confirmation that Will had left. He'd had the idea in his head, but now he knew. He couldn't explain it but he felt such anger at the man. Was it because he'd left his son? Broke JJ's heart? He of all people should understand relationships have problems but somehow, he couldn't see any way possible that JJ was even at fault in the slighest.

_Oh, stupid, say something. Hotch is a profiler. He'll notice something's up. _"I'm so happy it's nice out today," JJ remarked, stating the obvious. _Oh great, comment on the weather. That's the way to do it, JJ. _

"It's been a nice weekend. They called for rain for Jack's game yesterday but luckily we got the sun instead," he replied, trying to act like it was the best conversation he'd ever had.

_Don't cry. Don't cry. He's not worth your tears. _"Definitely and Jack played so well yesterday!" JJ turned around to look at the young boy whom was now looking quite proud of himself.

As a friend, he knew he should be worried and he was but what got him was that he felt her pain. He felt sad for her. He wished he could just make it all stop. It must just be empathy as he knew what it was like to lose someone you loved... That had to be it. It was nothing more than that.

It was a good thing he now pulled into Casey's parking lot because he desperately wanted to say something on the manner.

"Welcome to Casey's!" yelled the clown at the front door who then reached up to honk his nose.

Giggles were heard from Jack and Henry as they turned to their parents. "Ooh, can we go play, please?"

JJ smiled and exchanged a quick look with Hotch, "of course."

The boys wasted no time and ran towards the huge play area.

Hotch chose a window seat, and soon him and JJ were sitting down, with her sipping her iced tea.

"JJ, are you okay?" He had to be blunt and just ask it. "You've seemed off."

He didn't expect her to tell the truth, but he had to try and to his surprise, she told him. "Will left." _Why did I just say that? That's not something he needs to know. What if he thinks I can't do my job? _

"That'd never happen," said Hotch.

"What?" JJ asked, a bemused expression on her face.

"I said how could that happen? I don't understand how he could just leave," Hotch quickly said trying to tidy up his mistake.

"I don't know," JJ murmured softly, looking away to hide the tears in her eyes. _Maybe I'm not good enough._

But you are good enough, Hotch longed to say. "I'm sorry, JJ."

_I know. You're probably the only one that understands how I feel. _"Thanks," she said awkwardly, her eyes now downcast and she stirred her iced tea around, the ice cubes clinking against the glass.

"He'll realize what a big mistake he's making sooner or later." Hotch looked over JJ carefully.

"Sooner rather than later, I hope," JJ responded. _I can't honestly say I love Will but Henry needs a father... And why do I suddenly wish I didn't wear these stupid sweats and I wish Hotch wouldn't look at me like that! _Red formed on her cheeks and she looked away again. _Stupid. You know he doesn't feel that way about you and your boyfriend just left you! _

Hotch knew he'd heard that right that time. She did have feelings for him. Why did this make him feel like there were suddenly butterflies in his stomach? He was a grown man, not a sixteen year old girl.

_Okay, if he keeps looking at me like that... _Hotch began to grow amused as he noted the colour change in her cheeks and didn't move his gaze, party because this was amusing but a part of him didn't want to. Surely, these feelings didn't come on this fast... That could only mean they'd been there all along.

And the whole time, all he could think was _Damn you, David Rossi. _


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's note: Thank you guys so much for all your wonderful reviews! I didn't think this story would be as well received as it has been. Thank you so much! **

**I did get an anonymous review stating that Henry and Jack are too far apart in age difference to enjoy playing together. I find this to be false. As I have a 10 year old cousin that has no issues playing next door with my six year old neighbour. ^.^ **

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><p>"Oh, I'm going to throw up," Jack murmured, sprawled across the couch, rubbing his stomach anxiously. <em>I should have listened to dad. Oh gosh, is this my punishment?<em>

Henry lay on the floor, a similar expression on his face. _Oh mommy, make it go away. Ugh. _

Sitting at the table, Hotch turned to look over at his son before shaking his head and looking back at JJ. They'd gotten back from Casey's a couple hours ago and Jack had eagerly insisted on showing Henry his new video game. What the two parents hadn't known was that the boys had stuffed their pockets full of candy at Casey's and had eaten it all in one sitting and then ran around playing hide and seek.

"They never listen," JJ laughed, shaking her head. _But it's so hard to scold Henry. He just gives me the look and I'm won over. What a push over I am. _

"Neither did we," Hotch said with a shrug remembering how many times he'd eaten too much junk food until he threw up when he was younger. He couldn't help but notice how much better JJ looked after just a few hours of being out. The colour had returned to her face and her eyes were glowing in happiness.

"That's true," JJ said giggling a bit. _Why do I feel this way? Well, I know the answer to that but why do I feel embarrassed? Ugh, I feel my cheeks are hot, I must be blushing. I shouldn't have come out today. I knew those feelings were there. It was a huge mistake. It didn't help. _

"One time, I made the mistake of eating a double scoop chocolate mint ice cream cone and then when my brother couldn't finish his, I finished his as well and then went for a quick bike ride. That did not end well," Hotch told her, a smile appearing on his face.

"You threw up?" JJ asked, smiling and this time... The smile reached her eyes. _It's hard to imagine. Serious Aaron Hotcher, not controlling his candy urges. _A guilty look passed over her briefly as she let out a small laugh.

"All over our next door neighbour when I returned. I got off my bike, I felt it coming on and he ran over when he saw me sitting on the side walk, worried I'd fallen. Needless to say, the second he helped me up..." Aaron broke off, trying to stifle a laugh.

"Oh gross!" JJ exclaimed thinking about the many times Henry had thrown up on her when he was younger. The most recent time being when he'd been sick in the winter.

"I didn't learn. Ate too much junk food again the next day." Hotch shrugged, now looking over at the boys again.

"Ugh," JJ said, wrinkling her nose. "That doesn't sound fun." _It's so weird seeing Hotch like this. So, not serious. I think seeing this side of him has made it worse for me. I really should forget about these feelings. He'll never share them and I have to focus on getting Will back. For Henry's sake. _

Before Hotch had a chance to respond the phone cut him off. "Excuse me," he muttered as he walked into the living room to answer it.

"So, how did it go?" came the eager question from Dave. His tone reminding Hotch of a teenage girl digging for gossip from a friend.

"Fine," Hotch answered, narrowing his eyes. _It was you that got me into this confusing mess. _

"When did she go home?" Rossi questioned, fishing for details.

"Not yet," Hotch responded, trying to make sure JJ didn't know who they were talking about.

"Ooh, that good huh?"

"I'll talk to you about it later."

"Fine, fine. But one last thing, can you hear my thoughts through the phone?"

"No, bye." Hotch hung up the phone quickly, feeling guilty for even talking about JJ. It wasn't a date. So why was David acting like that?

"Sorry about that," he said with a smile as he walked back in the kitchen.

"Not a problem, it's getting late any ways," JJ reassured him, getting to her feet.

Hotch couldn't help but be disappointed. _Just ask her, _he told himself. "It was fun," he said.

"It sure was," came JJ's reply as she looked over at their boys lying down. _I think I may have had more fun than Henry. _

"We should do it again sometime," Hotch said lamely, sizing up her expression.

"Definitely." _Without the boys... _

"Just you and me," Hotch prompted, feeling very awkward indeed. He hadn't asked anyone out for awhile.

"You and me?" JJ asked, clearly stunned. _On a date? _

"Sure. There's a really great place I'd like to show you. We're friends and I want to be there for you." Hotch carefully listened to her thoughts, trying to figure out what he should and shouldn't say. _Just say yes, _he silently pled.

"I don't know," JJ stammered off. _So not a date. But what if I get hurt again? _

"JJ. I want to take you out on a date," Hotch admitted, "Not just as friends."

It took a few moments for the shock to wear off JJ's face and she gave him a feeble smile. "You have no idea how much I'd love that, but I can't do that to Henry. It'd be too confusing for him. I need to get back with Will." _Oh, how I wish I could say yes. _"And I can't take the risk. I'm not even sure why you're asking me." _This can't mean anywhere near as much to you as it does to me. _

Words left him. He didn't know what to say and instead, he watched as JJ scooped up Henry and left. Leaving him standing there stunned. He'd tried. Why did he feel so hurt at this?

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><p>"What do you mean she said no?" Dave demanded, pacing across the living room. <em>What did you do wrong? <em>

"I didn't do anything wrong!" Hotch protested, glaring at his friend.

"Well, when's the last time you asked someone out on a date?" _I still can't believe you asked her. Still waiting for you to admit I was right. _

Hotch chose to ignore Dave's thoughts and instead answered his question. "Quite awhile."

"That's what I figured," Rossi broke off, a thoughtful expression coming over his face. "We'll just have to try again."

"We? What's this 'we'? And what do you mean try again? She said no. It's finished. Over and out." Hotch threw himself back into his chair. Right after JJ had left and he'd gotten Jack into bed he'd called Dave. Despite the fact he blamed him for the situation, it was him that he was able to talk to about it. "I don't understand why she said no. The entire time she was thinking about how she wished we were together."

"She's a female, Aaron," Dave told him as if that explained everything. _And we will try again._

"What could possibly go different this time? And now I have to face her at work tomorrow and I think our friendship is going to take a weird turn now. It's just going to be awkward."

"What are you? Eighteen? It's only going to be awkward if you let it be awkward. And you want to be with her, and her with you. So we try again." Rossi's tone was final, as if he was giving his final say on the matter. _I'll be trying with or without your help._

"Fine. You got a plan?" Hotch shook his head. He had no idea how manipulative his friend was.

"Of course." Dave stopped pacing and took a seat on the couch. "Here's what we do..."

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><p><strong>Author's Note: Thanks for reading. This chapter was extremely difficult to write and not my best but now the fun starts! So I'm excited. <strong>


	7. Chapter 7: The Break Up

**Author's Note: Sorry for the delay! My motivation/muse has been lacking as of late. So this chapter is kind of forced out, so I'm a little unsure of the quality but hope you guys enjoy any ways. And I am sorry about the quality, like I said. I just wanted to rush through this part. I shouldn't have, but I'm anxious to get on with this story a bit more. **

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><p>Hotch sighed as he now stood outside Will's new place. How had he ended up here? A lot of arguing. He'd told Rossi, there was no way he was going to break JJ and Will up. That was childish. But it took much convincing and then Rossi informed him that Will was cheating on JJ. That was the last straw, and he'd flown out here without much thought. He knew there was no love in their relationship but cheating was wrong. And whether JJ had feelings for him or not wasn't part of the equation. Being betrayed hurt, no matter where you stood. And he knew that JJ still cared for Will, she just wasn't in love with him.<p>

He raised his hand up to the door and knocked three times.

_Who the hell is that? _He recognized the thoughts to be Will's and he was right. Will flung the door open, looking quite annoyed as he took in Hotch's expression.

"Hello?" he asked, confused.

Aaron grimaced. Even the sound of his accent was annoying him right now. It took all his control to not get violent and remain calm. "Come clean about what you're doing behind JJ's back. Tell her the truth."

"I'm not doing anything!" Will responded in a panic, his voice squeaking under the glare of Aaron Hotchner. _Did she send him here? So help me god, if she did. _

_What is taking Will so long? _That froze Hotch right there. Will wasn't alone. "You have a girl in here right now. I'm not playing games."

"How would you know that? I'm alone," Will said defiantly, rising to his full height, trying to act brave.

"Can I come in?" Hotch asked, raising his eyebrow.

"No," Will responded. _How does he know? _

"That's what I thought. Now are you going to tell her? Or shall we do this the hard way?" Hotch said in a tone of deadly calm, as he saw Will debate this in his head. He saw the detective sizing him up, and he almost smirked.

"I'll tell her," Will said reluctantly, admitting defeat. _She'll leave me for good. I'm not sure why I want us to remain together, but I do... _

"Good," Aaron said, feeling slightly guilty. This was going to hurt JJ. But it was best for her to know, and he knew that. She had to know. And then when she recovered. He could make her happy. _And I will make her happy. She deserves to be happy. _

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><p>He hadn't expected it. Not at all. But when he heard the knock on his door at 12 in the morning, he knew. And there she stood, her hair thrown up in a quick ponytail, sweats and a nightshirt. It didn't matter, she was still beautiful, even though there were tears in her eyes.<p>

"JJ?" Hotch asked, forcing a tone of confusion. The guilt was eating at him now. But it was the right thing to do. Or so he tried to convince himself.

_What am I doing here? I shouldn't be here! It just... _"Um," JJ said awkwardly, shifting Henry's weight. _Oh god, I feel like such an idiot. _

Opening the door to allow JJ entry, Aaron gestured towards the couch. Somehow despite the shaking, JJ made her way to it. He knew why she was here. But she didn't know that. He had to act normal. He swallowed the lump in his throat that felt quite overwhelming.

"I'm sorry. You're probably wondering why I'm here. I didn't know where to go, and if anyone understands, it's you!" _And I just wanted to see you. _

"Understands what?" Aaron asked sympathetically, he entered into the kitchen just briefly to put the kettle on the stove to make her some tea, just the way she liked it. Henry lay asleep in her arms, completely unaware of the emotions in the room right now.

"Will just left. He's met someone else. I knew it was coming, but I still... I mean he'd already left but I was hoping he'd come back and now it's for sure..." her voice broke off, her watering eyes met his. _I needed a friend. _

"It's okay, really." Hotch tried to reassure her. He left the room to finish up with adding sugar to her tea, milk and by the time he came back, she was sound asleep on the couch, Henry nestled up close. A smile touched his lips. They looked so... there were no words. He stared for awhile after he got a blanket he lay over her. There they were. And the guilt wouldn't leave, because here one of his best friends was, crying to him, in pain and all he could think about was how much he loved her...

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><p>It had been weeks ago since JJ had appeared on his steps, with nowhere to go. The house was in Will's name and he'd moved back in to it after he'd told JJ the truth. JJ stayed with him, in the guest bedroom. Many would think this would be comforting to him, but it hurt. The worst way to miss someone is to be so close to them, knowing you can't have them.<p>

He knew the girls were talking. And he knew his name had been brought in there due to the sudden silence whenever he walked into a room where Emily, JJ and Garcia were. He'd heard some of Emily and Penelope's thoughts and knew most of what JJ had told them.

Despite the fact he had been against Dave's plans to get the girl, now he was anxious to start working on it. But Dave had shook his head and told him it was too soon. JJ needed to heal. Dave told him that he couldn't be the rebound guy. Whatever that meant. Dave told him that JJ would casually date someone else, before realizing she's just trying to fill that hole in her heart. And after that guy, that's when he'd have to be there.

Hotch didn't buy any of this. He felt they were wasting precious time and he started small, making her breakfast and making sure to look out for her and his son as best as he could. When was it okay to try to make JJ happy? When was it too soon? And what were the chances she'd ever go for him? He'd heard her thoughts, but he wasn't sure. He also felt like he was being selfish, though he did care for her happiness and worry for her. All he could think about was starting on their path, together.

It'd been so long since he'd been with any girl besides Haley, so long since he'd been on a date even. Him and JJ had pretended that awkward day never happened. The one where he just spilled his feelings out and caused the tension in their friendship. They also pretended that she hadn't gone to him right after Will for help. They acted like this was normal. But words could not describe how hard it was for him.

Why was he trusting Dave any ways? The man had three failed marriages. What did he know about anything to do with woman? Perhaps it was time to take matters into his own hands.


	8. Chapter 8: A chance

**Author's Note: **

**First off, I'm sorry for the weak last chapter. I was in such a rush to get to the JJ/Hotch stuff... And *sigh* I know I shouldn't post stuff until I'm happy with it. And I know it wasn't my best. But hopefully I've still kept some readers! **

**Secondly, I apologize for the delay! **

**Third, please love me and still review? **

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><p>"It had to be somebody in this office!" Emily declared in a hushed voice as she leaned over her desk to speak with Garcia. <em>I wonder who it was!<em>

"But who?" Garcia demanded, struggling to keep her excitement contained. _Oh, I hope things get better for JJ. _

"I don't know," Emily broke off when she saw her Unit Chief standing where he could hear them.

"What's happened?" Hotch asked, playing along though he already knew.

"Um, nothing," Emily said with a smile. But it didn't matter.

"Someone sent JJ flowers with a love note! A love note! What guys send love notes any more? It's so romantic! He must be a decent guy," Garcia broke off, sighing dreamily.

"Um, Kevin Lynch, remember?" Emily said rolling her eyes. _What if it was Hotch that sent the flowers? No, it couldn't have been. Maybe Morgan? _

"Oh, yeah, him," Garcia said with a dismissive laugh.

It'd been quite a few weeks now since JJ had began staying at his place. A few weeks of no Will. She was a strong girl. Not once did she call and beg him to come back to her. And he knew that she was trying to find a new place because she felt like a burden on him.

He'd tried to assure her otherwise, but it was no use. Her thoughts were always the same constant nagging voice in her head. Telling her to get her butt in gear and stop taking up Hotch's space and time.

Both he and Jack had gotten used to their two new house guests. The way Jack's face lit up when JJ walked into the room... He knew if she left she'd be breaking more than one heart.

"It's time to investigate," Garcia stage whispered, her eyes darting around the bullpen.

"Who do we start with?" Emily asked eagerly. _I am pretty sure we can eliminate Reid. There is no way... But then again... He is a genius, and geniuses do research... No we can't eliminate any one. _

Hotch cleared his throat, both girls jumped, obviously having forgotten he was there.

"Garcia, don't you have work to do?" he asked, only doing so because he didn't want them digging around. Emily was a profiler, and Garcia was very persuasive and sneaky. They'd figure out it was him.

"Right, yes sir," she said quickly, walking left, right and then finally turning around to go to her home away from home. In front of her many screens.

Emily gave Hotch a guilty look before pulling out her paperwork to get started. _I wonder who it was. And damn, that suit definitely brings out Hotch's eyes. And other things."_

Awkwardly, pretending he hadn't heard her thoughts, walked away very aware of her gaze on him as he retreated back to his office.

He should have known JJ would tell her girls. He had put careful care into setting it up. For the past week he'd been sending her random gifts. First a box of chocolates, then a teddy bear holding a heart. A whole bunch of random stuff. But today, he'd sent her lilies. Not the most romantic flower but he knew they were her favourites. JJ did always say roses were lame and overrated.

He was going to win her over. He knew she was scared but he was determined. He hadn't given up on anything yet.

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><p>This was a first for him. Well not a first, but a rarity. He was the first to leave work. And he beat JJ home. He had to get ready. JJ had no idea, but Jessica had the boys tonight and he was waiting for her. He knew she'd have figured it out by now.<p>

He'd been the one that she'd told about her favourite little gifts, flowers and chocolates. The lilies were the give away. And he knew that she'd figured it out. It was written in the way that she'd avoided him all day. Refusing to meet his eyes, leaving the room when he walked in.

She wasn't very subtle about these things.

"Hotch?" the voice broke him from his thoughts. She was home. He tried to ignore the fluttering in his chest. It was fine. What was the worse that could happen? Well... He could have his heart ripped from his chest, no big deal.

"What's up JJ?" he asked, casually walking into the room pretending to be shocked at how red her face was.

"Flowers. You sent me flowers and other things," she broke off. _What do I say? This is so frustrating! I want to be with him. Why can't I just say it? Why is this so complicated? _

"I'm not allowed to send simple gifts?" Aaron asked leaning against the wall near the door.

"Well, you are, I just... why?" she demanded quickly, shifting her weight nervously. _Why do you care? And how do I know I won't get hurt? _

"I waited for a few weeks. I wasn't sure how soon was too soon after Will. But JJ, I couldn't wait any more. I want to be with you. I want you to give us a chance. I know I'm not perfect. I know I'm not the most handsome guy out there. The most loving guy. I know I have no sense of humour. But I want to be with you." Hotch said all this very fast, it was a wonder JJ heard any of it. He wasn't good with opening up with his feelings but JJ... She was special.

"Hotch, I don't know... I mean... I just..." JJ trailed off awkwardly. _I just don't want to get hurt. _

"You don't want to get hurt, and I know that."

"Well, yes, that's exactly it," JJ said in shock. Guys normally weren't great at picking up female emotions. Profiler or not... Girls were very complex. _And I'm scared to put myself out there again. A fear of rejection. _

"I understand being afraid of starting over. I understand the fear of being rejected. JJ, what do you think I'm feeling right now? I'm afraid of being rejected."

Those words did the magic. Suddenly she was listening, and he could see the wheels clicking in her head. She wanted this as much as him, if not more.

"Give me a chance to prove myself to you, please. That's all I want."

The seconds passed, dragging like minutes, like hours but she finally nodded. "Okay," she whispered, watching him carefully.

She hadn't a chance to react, because that's when he scooped her in his arms, and his lips met hers.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: Sheesh, evil Hotch, using JJ's thoughts to his advantage. He's like the woman whisperer here. He can't go wrong. He can pick up on warning signs before the bomb goes off. I'm jealous, lol! <strong>


	9. Chapter 9: Mother's Day

**Author's note: Sorry for the late update! I've been having trouble trying to be motivated to write as of late. I hope this chapter is okay! **

**And thank you for all the reviews, they make my day. I'm so close to 100 now! *dances***

**Thanks to Cheeto-breath for motivating me to write this next chapter! PS: Check our some of her work!**

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><p>"This is so sweet!" JJ exclaimed, smiling happily at the tray on her lap. <em>This is something I've always wished for!<em>

Don't I know it, Hotch thought, grinning at the excited blonde. Breakfast in bed. It was Mother's Day and he knew JJ hadn't been expecting anything special, but she had her hopes. He'd made some of those come true.

JJ's mouth watered as she tried to decide where to start first. In front of her were three plates. One of those plates contained homemade pancakes and french toast. Another contained homemade hashbrowns, bacon and scrambled eggs. And then there was a third plate containing some sweet fruit with whip cream. _I don't know where to start! This all looks so good. Does he expect me to eat all of this? Will he think I eat too much if I do? Not that I think I could. But..._

Hotch tried to keep his face steady. It was hard to, hearing her thoughts. His lip kept twitching.

Luckily, a distraction came, in the form of of a little boy. Henry came running in the room. "Look what Jack and I made for you!" he said holding up a little heart shaped card. Well that's what it was supposed to be. It didn't look like a heart, but JJ knew that was what it was meant to be. The tears sprang to her eyes, and even her delicious breakfast was pushed to the back of her mind.

"Oh, Sweetie, I love it!" JJ said joyfully, taking the little card from her son. "And you two made it all by yourself?"

Jack nodded shyly from the door way. _What do I do? She's not my mother... _

JJ passed Hotch the tray before opening her arms for both boys. Identical grins were on both faces as they crawled onto the bed to snuggle her back.

_But she still appears to love me! _Jack lay comfortably next to JJ for a bit before jumping down. "Come on Henry!" he called out before taking off out the door. _Better let Ms. Jareau eat her breakfast that my daddy made her. _

JJ watched her son give her a huge smile again before leaving.

"Oh, Aaron, this is so sweet!" JJ said, her eyes welling up. _I don't think I could be any happier right now. _

Hotch was a bit shocked to hear her call him by his first name, but he recovered quickly. And he couldn't help but smile. There were no words to describe how happy her happiness made him.

Still smiling, Hotch grabbed his own plate, containing only bacon, eggs and hasbrowns and he sat next to her on the bed. He'd almost planned to take her out today, before remembering it was Mother's Day. It was Mother's Day for a reason, and he knew the boys were excited about their picnic later.

They ate in peaceful silence for a bit, with Hotch getting up every few minutes to go check on their boys. He tried not to think of it, as it'd only been a week since him and JJ had agreed to give this a chance, but this felt like a family and he knew JJ felt it, too. Neither would say how right this felt and he knew how scared JJ was of getting hurt again. They'd take it slow. That was important to do.

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><p>"Are you trying to make me fat?" JJ joked, taking in all that sat before her. It was a good thing she'd been up early for breakfast as she would still be full right now. Her mood just kept improving. Not only had Hotch prepared her breakfast, afterwards running her a hot bubble bath and a nice cup of hot chocolate (with lots of whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles, her favourite) but he'd also prepared her a great picnic. "I get to eat amazing food and I didn't have to do anything!" <em>It's such a relief. This is the first relaxing day I've had in... I can't even remember. <em>

"What kind of sandwich?" Hotch asked, digging through the basket. They'd gone with a traditional picnic. Down to the white and red checkered sheet and the basket.

"There's more than one kind?" JJ said in shock. Her eyes widened. She'd definitely be putting on a few pounds today and strangely that didn't matter to her.

"Turkey or Tuna? Oh, or there's just some chicken in here."

_He really packed a lot of food._

"You haven't seen anything yet. There's still yogurt, fruit and -" Hotch broke off, realizing he'd accidentally answered her thought... He sighed in relief when JJ didn't react.

"Hotch, there's no words," JJ said, her eyes welling up again.

"Sure there are! Turkey or Tuna?"

JJ laughed, moving closer to lean on Hotch. She moved her bare feet off the sheet to dig into the grass. It felt so peaceful. "Turkey, please."

Handing her a turkey sandwich, Hotch's eyes quickly scanned the field before spotting their children. "Boys! Lunch!" he called out.

Unlike most parents, he didn't have to say anything twice. They both abandoned the game they were playing to come running over.

It was only one pm, and still the happiest day she'd had in a long time.

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><p>"Okay, now this is too much!" JJ called out, her eyes widening. <em>How will I ever make this up to him! This is the most perfect day. I'd had thoughts of this all day yesterday... About how I'd wished for this all to go. But it'd been just a fantasy. <em>

"It's Mother's Day," Hotch said shrugging, as if that explained everything. He put some more mashed potatoes on her plate.

"Happy Mother's Day!" Henry said again, smiling with a mouthful of corn in his mouth.

"Thanks, Sweetie," JJ said, for the sixth time that day trying not to cry. No one had ever gone all out for her. No one had ever done this for her before. It was amazing. It blew her mind. _It's like he can read my mind! It must be that profiler instinct. Is he profiling me? _She watched him closely out of the corner of her eye and finally he sat down. _I better do the dishes after dinner. He already did the breakfast dishes, lunch clean up and everything else around MY house today._

"After dinner, I was thinking we could all watch a movie together. You and the boys can pick it out while I clean up," Aaron suggested, mixing in Jack's peas with his mashed potatoes. The way Jack always liked them.

"Hotch, I really can't let you do that," JJ protested, setting her fork down. _He's so sweet!_

"I insist. As your boss, it's an order."

"Hotch!"

"No more discussion on the topic, please," Hotch said, smiling at the blonde again. He'd been smiling a lot today but how could he help it? Her happiness was contagious and he felt great.

JJ looked down at the beautifully made dinner. "Thank you," she whispered quietly. _It was perfect. Just him and the boys today. This is more than any mother could ask for. I'm such a lucky girl. __This day was a dream come true._

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><p><em><em>**Happy Mother's Day to all Mother's! I know this is a couple days late but...**

**Thank you so much for reading! I'll hopefully be more quick with updates as I'll be finishing up another story, soon. **


	10. Chapter 10: Phase ?

**Sorry for the delay, I'd originally written this chapter but accidentally deleted it and had to re write.**

**Thank you so much for all your reviews and everything! They truly are motivating.**

**I'm in all honesty not sure where I'm going with this story but I am having lots of fun writing it! **

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><p>"What are you doing?" Hotch asked, stretching, as he walked into the dining room to see JJ sitting at the table examining a newspaper.<p>

"What's it look like?" she replied, raising her eye brows. _Does he really know me that well to know I normally hate to read the paper?_

"It's just, you never read the paper," Hotch trailed off, giving her a calculating look.

"First time for everything," JJ said with a shrug as she turned the page. When she saw his gaze didn't falter, she sighed. "I'm looking for decent apartments," she admitted, carefully sizing up his expression.

"Oh," Hotch said a bit taken back. Whatever it was, he hadn't expected that. Maybe she'd just been looking at the comics...

"Just because we're suddenly together now doesn't mean I'm going to just live here. If anything, it's more reason to get out of here. I need to take this relationship slow," JJ said defensively, leaning back to cross her arms. _You had to have known that... Or did you just assume?_

_"_It's just things were going well," Aaron admitted. He noted the expression on her face and it was time to do a quick save. "I'm sorry to jump to conclusions. You're absolutely right. Going slow is the safest route." Crisis averted. The annoyed expression disappeared off her face and she sent him a lovely smile again.

"I'm sorry, it's just stressful trying to find a good place for Henry and me," she said, squinting to look over the ads again. _And I don't really want to leave. But I know it's best. Moving in is not in the first few steps. You start slow... We haven't even said I love you yet._

"You're right," Hotch said softly.

"What?" JJ asked, lifting her head to look at him again. "Right about what?"

Oh. Crap. Why did he not think? You can't respond to her thoughts, idiot, he told himself. "You're right. It is stressful to look for places," he finished lamely.

JJ nodded, clearly exasperated. She took a quick drink of her coffee to finish it up and grabbed her coat. "Are you ready?"

"Yes," Hotch said, reaching for his keys. It was time for another day at the BAU.

* * *

><p><em>I can't believe it. He really did all of that for mother's day? I need to find me a guy that can do that. <em>Emily shot Hotch a smile in greeting when he walked in the building.

_Oh, I wish I had a man like that. Focus Garcia. You have Kevin... Remember? But still... Oh I wish._

_I really should have snatched him up when I had the chance. _Emily gave Hotch another look. _But if it was to be anyone at least it was JJ. She definitely deserves happiness and Hotch can give it to her. He gave her the perfect mother's day now I wonder what he'll do for her Birthday and their Anniversary? I can't wait to hear about it! _

Hotch almost laughed. Apparently, JJ had wasted no time in telling her friends about what he'd done for mother's day. And he was proud of it. Obviously, he'd done good. A flash of guilt hit him briefly. He'd cheated. He never would have done all that if JJ hadn't secretly been wishing it the day before...

"Hotch," Rossi said to get his attention. _Why have you not called me? I want details! I want to know how our little JJ mission is going._

"That comes off offensive," Hotch said rolling his eyes as he pushed the door open to his office.

"Sorry," Dave said, grinning as he entered. _What phase of the relationship are you guys at?_

"Phase?" Hotch asked confused. What did he mean phase? Was this what JJ was referring to about how they hadn't even gotten to the 'I love you' stage yet?

"Yes, phase. I mean, technically you should have skipped ahead since you already live together, but..." Rossi said, a hint of a question in his tone.

"We don't live together, she just needs a temporary place to stay," Aaron informed him, taking his seat in his chair.

"How long has she been there?" Dave demanded, raising his eyebrows. _It's been quite a few weeks. It's safe to say she's not going any where. _

"She was looking for apartments in the newspaper this morning," Hotch reluctantly admitted.

"What?" Dave said a bit too loudly. _What did you do wrong? _

"I didn't do anything wrong! She just thinks that we need to take this slow and I agree." Hotch added the last part on, but his tone suggested he didn't believe it.

"No, no, no this is all wrong," Dave said as he began pacing. "This is going backwards!"

"We need to take things slow. We haven't even said we love each other yet."

"What?" Dave demanded again. "But you both clearly do!"

"We're just not there yet," Hotch grumbled.

"What are you two, two teenagers in love? No. You're both adults whom have both had your share of serious relationships." Dave turned to face Hotch. _Moving out is all wrong!_

"I'm going to let her do what makes her feel comfortable. I'm sure she'll be back to actually move in soon." Hotch gave Dave a look that suggested this discussion was over, and reluctantly, Dave exited the room.

* * *

><p>"Moving out?" both Garcia and Emily said in shock, giving the blonde a confused expression. "You can't go backwards."<p>

"I wasn't meant to stay there forever," JJ pointed out. "And it seems only logical to start at the beginning. Moving out is definitely not the first step."

"That's true," Emily admitted. "You never even got to the exchanges keys step. Have you two even?" her voice broke off.

It took JJ a minute to realize what she meant and she shook her head. "No, we haven't even said I love you yet."

"That's what I meant!" Emily said, realizing what JJ thought she meant. "Wait you mean you guys haven't even done it yet?"

"No," JJ admitted, blushing slightly.

Garcia was shaking her head. "You need our help JJ, admit it."

Sighing, JJ nodded. "You're right. I need your help. What do you suggest?"

Both Emily and Garcia exchanged looks before turning back to JJ with identical grins on their faces.

* * *

><p><strong>A short chapter. <strong>

**And to any of my JJ/Hotch fans. I'm about to post a new JJ/Hotch multi chapter fic. It takes a more serious tone, but I am very excited about it!**

**It'll be called "Never Forgotten." And it should be posted by tomorrow! **


	11. Chapter 11: House Hunting

**Author's Note: I am really sorry for the delay everyone. I've been super busy and on hiatus. I still can't promise quick chapters as I'm not even really sure where I'm going with this story. *le sigh* But I do hope this chapter is decent enough, considering I have been having writer's block.**

* * *

><p>"I don't like this," Hotch whispered following JJ up the stairs, each stair creaking with every step.<p>

"We haven't even seen inside yet, we can't judge the apartment based on the neighbourhood," JJ insisted, trying not to look at the cockroach running down along the wall. _This is disgusting. Why is it so hard to find a decent place? And why can't I just say with Hotch? Why do I feel the need to move out? Because I'm scared? Is that really it? I don't want to move too fast? But what if Garcia and Emily are right and we are going backwards? Is that a bad sign in a relationship? _

Without realizing it, Hotch had stopped on the stairs. He was so busy listening to her that he forgot he should be moving. In an effort to catch up, he stepped on the roach resulting in a disgusting crunching sound that froze JJ in her tracks.

"Okay, I'm out of here," she said, not feeling very brave any more. _The next place has to be better, right?_

"I agree," Aaron said, lifting his shoe up to inspect it.

***JOTCH***

"I can't believe you didn't try and talk her out of it," Dave said in a huff.

Hotch looked out the window, to watch carefully for JJ whom had run into the store. "Every time I brought it up, her thoughts were... kind of not happy. I didn't want to push it."

"You hardly tried," Dave complained. "I thought we were going-"

"Forward," Aaron finished for him. "I know, you've mentioned this several times."

"Sorry to sound like a broken record, Aaron, but you know I'm right."

"I know, look, I have to go, I can see her coming, bye." And without waiting for a response, Hotch hung up.

"Who was on the phone?" JJ asked, poking her head through the window. _And why did he hang up so quickly? JJ, don't even start going there. You know Hotch. He's not like Will. _

"Dave." Hotch would never admit it but her thoughts made him very uncomfortable. Did she not trust him? Who did she think he was talking to? What had gotten into her?

"Ah," she said with a smile now opening the door. She handed him a bottle of coke before slipping into her seat. _Dave... I bet they were talking about me! Guys do that. Maybe that's why he hung up so quick. _

Nodding his thanks, Hotch asked, "where to?"

"Goodyear road," JJ said, wrinkling her nose. _Oh please, let this be better than the last three places. _

"Goodyear road," Aaron repeated, feeling a bit guilty. He partly hoped she didn't like it so she'd just stay with him a bit longer... Maybe change her mind completely. But in the end, he just wanted her to be happy.

***JOTCH***

"That one wasn't so bad," JJ said as she winced slightly. _Besides the old man changing in the window and waving at me. That was a little creepy. _

"If only you knew what he was thinking," Hotch said, feeling his jaw twitch uncomfortably.

"Well, you don't know either," JJ pointed out. _But he did give me the creeps. _

"I am a profiler and I had an educated guess," Aaron lied, looking over at her. The man's thoughts had nearly made him kick down his door.

"Well besides him," JJ trailed off. _And the smell..._

"There were the rats, the stains and the lock on the door that didn't work. Absolutely not. You're thinking of Henry, too."

That was all he needed to say, JJ let the matter drop at once and picked up her pad. "Beachfront road." _Why is it called Beachfront? It's nowhere near the beach! _

Nearly laughing, Aaron caught himself before glancing at his GPS. "I really hope there's something positive about this next place we're going to."

"Me too," JJ said. _I think at least. Why does a part of me not want it to be the perfect place?_

***JOTCH***_  
><em>

"Well, the whole day was a bust," JJ said with a sigh, taking a seat at the booth. "Six different places and more than half of them had some sort of need for an exterminator." _At least we got to spend the day together. _JJ glanced around briefly to take in their surroundings. The place wasn't fancy but it was nice. Her eyes glanced at the red and white chequered cloth and she grinned. It was quiet and they were together. That was what mattered.

"At least we got to spend the day together," Hotch pointed out sneakily.

And it worked. Seconds later a huge smile replaced her frown. "You're right," she said happily. _I was just thinking that!_

Hotch passed JJ a menu before sitting down beside her. "I am always right."

"I wouldn't go that far," JJ said teasingly as she poked him in the side. _But you are always attractive. _

"Fine, but I'm always attractive," Hotch said as he puffed out his chest slightly.

_How does he do that? He always says what I'm thinking. It makes us so... perfect together. _"Fine, you're right there." JJ stuck out her lip in a pout as she admitted defeat.

"Back to the I'm always right? Are you seeing it yet?"

"Don't push it," JJ said softly after she'd finished laughing. _  
><em>

"Who, me?" Hotch asked in an effort to sound innocent.

"Yes you." _Salad? Oh screw that. I'm having a burger. _

"I'm hurt!"

"I bet you are." JJ gave him a playful smile as she closed her menu.

"I am," he insisted leaning to meet her lips.

***JOTCH***

The dinner had been relatively uneventful, though way too filling. JJ had her head leaned against the window and closed her eyes, trying not to take in the moving buildings or even the lines. She was barely aware of how far away they were from home, though she opened one eye to take a quick peek.

"I'm going to be sick. Why did you let me eat that much?" she moaned. _I need to learn to say no to dessert. But cheesecake? Who... Who can honestly say no to that? Besides Hotch. _She sent Hotch a small glare. He'd said no. How did he do that?

"I didn't let you," Hotch said with a sigh. "But you know what sounds good? Let's stop for a nice greasy cheeseburg-"

"OH, I hate you!" JJ whined while squeezing her eyes shut again. _Oh gross. I just want to get home and lie in bed and sleep and forget this ever happened. That sounds good. Tomorrow's a new day... A new day I won't be wanting to throw up a delicious dinner. __  
><em>

"But you love me," Aaron offered helpfully. "Even if I do talk about going out for ice cream, or some nice french fires or perhaps some chilli."

"Keep going mister, and see where that gets you," she warned. She had to groan as they hit a bump when Aaron moved the car over to allow a fire truck to pass. _Please don't let me be sick. _

"We'll be home soon," Hotch said lightly.

_Home? _

"Well to my place, which has become your place and you are of course welcome there, so yes home," Hotch said defensively.

"I didn't say anything," JJ murmured softly. _But that's very sweet of you. You have no idea how adorable you are when you get nervous about something. It doesn't happen often but when it does.._

"Of course you didn't," Hotch said awkwardly, now stopping to allow a couple teens to cross the road.

She raised her eyebrows at him before leaning back on her seat. "Wake me up when we're there. Or better yet, just carry me inside."

Every few seconds, Aaron would shift his gaze to check on her. She looked so peaceful. But he knew she was awake. She was just in deep thought.

When he pulled onto their street, he froze. "JJ," he said breathlessly.

"What?" she muttered, "I was half serious when I said just carry me inside you know."

"JJ," he repeated.

This time, she sat up due to his tone of voice having alerted her. And immediately she felt the tug on her heart, the way it froze... The way everything froze and when she looked at Hotch and saw the identical fear on his face, her eyes welled up.

From the bottom of the street, they could already see the flames coming from Hotch's house, where both Jack and Henry were with Garcia.

* * *

><p><strong>Thank you so much for reading! Would you believe it that the first time I wrote this chapter I had JJ and Hotch get into an argument? <strong>

**Then I looked back on it and realized it just... didn't flow so I re-wrote it. I had no idea there would be a fire until the last couple sentences to be honest. **

**Any ways, if you'd be so kind, please leave a review? I love hearing feedback or even tips on how to improve. Or even ideas for the story! **

**Thanks again. **


	12. Chapter 12: Aftermath

**Author's Note: **_It's been a long wait guys. I'm sorry. And to top it all off, this chapter is nothing special. It's also kind of short. I just need to get the ball rolling. _

_After taking a writing class, I realize how far behind I am in terms of writing ability. There is a chance I may take down my stories to re-write them. If this happens, they will be back up. Just to make you guys aware. _

_Thank you for your patience if you continue to still read. _

* * *

><p>JJ was out of the car before Hotch had even had the chance to put it into park. He couldn't blame her. A part of him wanted to do the same but he had to force himself to be calm in order to put the car on the side of the road without incident.<p>

At first the smoke was all that filled her view once she got out. While the flames were visible down the street, it was a bit more masked now. Then the bright glint of the flames made themselves known, and the house was being viciously attacked by the determined flames. This was a sight JJ had seen many times before, but never so close to home. And that was it. That place had felt like a home. It had her things, and Henry felt comfortable there. But it wasn't just that, she felt like she belonged there. Now this home was burning to the ground before her very eyes, and she didn't know where her son was.

"Henry! Jack!" Even from here, she could feel the heat from the flames, and the panic intensified as she took up a jog to look for them. She ignored the fireman that tried to stop her from pushing through, because right now, nothing else mattered. The familiar colours of red, yellow and orange over powered the air and if it hadn't been for her need to find her son, she'd have collapsed by now.

He didn't even need to read her thoughts, nor did he try. There was a more pressing matter. However, as they were running towards the house there was a sight before him that caused him to take in a huge sigh of relief. There was Garcia, sitting on the back of the fire truck with the boys on either side of her.

"Oh thank God," JJ said running forward to hug all three of them.

"I don't know what happened," Garcia immediately started attempting to explain. _Oh goodness, I hope they don't think I did anything to cause this. _"I got them out of there the second there was smoke. By the time I went back in to find the extinguisher, the flames were too overwhelming. Jack came in to try and grab something and I had to get him out of there. I'm so sorry." _I really did try. _

"Don't be sorry. You did what you could, and made sure they were safe," Hotch said, forcing a smile trying not to look at the chaos taking place.

"It's okay." JJ gave her a pat of reassurance. "I'm just glad everyone's okay." _I don't know what I would have done if something had happened to Henry, or Jack and Garcia. _

"Daddy!"

Hotch didn't hesitate, he reached forward to pick Jack up in his arms. "Hey buddy, I'm glad you're okay. Must have been pretty scary, huh?"

If Jack heard him, he didn't show it. "But, mommy…"

Aaron didn't need to read his thoughts, he knew what Jack was referring to. The video. The video he watched on nights he couldn't sleep or just needed to remember her voice. A rare moment in his life, as he was at a loss of what to say and all he could do was hold him tighter.

A quick look at the expression on JJ's face gave him a good idea of the variety of emotions she was feeling. But, currently, she was biting her lip and looking between the two. _Poor Jack. _He couldn't listen to anymore, and turned to talk to the firefighter that was observing the scene. It was important he got a good idea of what was happening, and whether Jack and Henry had inhaled any smoke. While he was worried about his son, the truth of the matter was he couldn't look at JJ's face right now.

It was no surprise that all the neighbours were watching the scene closely. People had a tendency to look at wrecks, fires or crime scenes. He'd seen it many times before, but this was his house. He saw Mrs. Harrison looking around, a worried expression on her face and he saw her relax when she caught sight of Jack safely in his arms. There were too many people. So many thoughts. He couldn't focus right now. Everything was spiralling out of control.

But then she was there, her hand touching his arm. The concerned expression on her face. _What do I say? What can I say? I'll just make sure he knows I'm there for him. _

In return, he gave her arm a quick squeeze, to let her know he appreciated it. Even without hearing her thoughts, they could still communicate without words. Maybe there was no need to cheat, not really. He wanted it to be real, sincere. He wanted to know what she was thinking without listening. That was how a relationship should work. And suddenly, he felt ashamed. Ashamed for all the times he'd listened to her thoughts to get to know her. And here she was, with no advantage and she knew exactly what he needed, and clearly had some idea of what he was thinking. She knew him. She knew him in the way she should.

"Can you take him?" Hotch asked, handing Jack over to JJ. "I need to go talk to the insurance company. We're going to have to stay somewhere tonight."

JJ nodded. "Of course," she replied, giving him a one armed hug as she took Jack.

"How's he doing?" Garcia asked the second JJ came back.

She watched after him carefully, observing his movements and she knew he was hurting. Everything that remained of Haley had been in that house. And JJ understood that she would always mean something to him, and that was okay. And it hurt her heart to think of how he was feeling right now, not to mention his obvious worry about Jack. "He's dealing in the best way he can."

The flames gradually began to lose their power as they grew smaller. JJ, Garcia and the boys waited by the truck for about forty five minutes before Hotch came back over. "It looks like faulty wiring according to the firefighters."

Even though she had known she wasn't at fault, there was no mistaking the general look of relief on Garcia's face.

"This means that insurance company will cover our stay in a hotel until we get things sorted, and they'll be reimbursing us. As far as I can tell, they intend to sue the electrical company we had in doing the work on the house so many years ago."

Hotch paused briefly to pinch the bridge of his nose as he tried to work through everything in his mind in an organized manner.

"The fire destroyed pretty much everything, and anything left is so damaged by smoke…"

He broke off, examining JJ's expression. What is she thinking? He stopped himself before he listened in and he attempted to block it out. "It'll be fine," he reassured her.

"We don't even have anything to pack for the hotel."

Garcia reached over to hug JJ, and it was no surprise to Hotch when he saw a few familiar vehicles pull up. The rest of the team immediately got their way through the crowd to them.

"Is everyone okay?" Emily asked, glancing around.

It took JJ a minute to register what had been said before she nodded in response.

"Well come on, let's get you guys out of here," Rossi said, shooting a glance at the remains of the once beautiful home.


End file.
